Hershey to introduce Jolly Rancher in India

MUMBAI, INDIA — The growing Indian confectionery market is set to welcome a new sweet as Hershey India Private Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Hershey Co., announced it will introduce the Jolly Rancher brand in India. India is the first international market for the Jolly Rancher brand outside of North America in the brand’s 65-year history.

The Jolly Rancher brand is known for its combination of sweet and tart fruity flavors. Hershey said the first product in the Jolly Rancher brand to be introduced in India will be Jolly Rancher Lollipops, which the company said offer “a long lasting fruit-like taste experience that is distinct from the typical lollipop currently available in India.” The lollipops will come in three flavors: green apple, watermelon and mango. Mango was developed specifically for the India market, the company said.

“The Jolly Rancher brand is a perfect line of products for sweets-loving consumers in India,” said Atul Razdan, general manager of marketing for sweets and refreshments at Hershey India. “We’ve tailored our new Jolly Rancher products for India to appeal, specifically, to local palates with bold, fruity flavors that are unlike any other candy available in the market.”

Hershey’s manufacturing plant in Chittoor, India, will make the Jolly Rancher products.

Along with Hershey’s Kisses, Ice Breakers, Reese’s and Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bars, Jolly Ranchers are one of Hershey’s five “global brands.” It is the first global brand from North America to launch in India and is part of Hershey’s plan to expand its global distribution of these brands as part of the company’s ambitious global growth vision to achieve $10 billion in annual revenue by 2017. Hershey’s global growth plans include focusing on key international focus markets, such as China, and expanding its consumer product portfolios around the world. Hershey expects international sales to reach approximately $1 billion by the end of 2014.

Hershey acquired the Jolly Rancher brand in 1996 as part of its purchase of Leaf North America from Finland-based Huhtamaki Oy.

Hershey’s push to expand its global presence has not been limited to its global brands, though. In May, the company launched Lancaster, a new candy brand in China. This was the first time Hershey launched a completely new brand outside the United States, and it also was the first new brand the company introduced that is not a brand extension or acquisition in the last 30 years.

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